Klepsch: Building the Wall was a symbol of political oppression

Saxony's Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch has called for remembrance of the effects of the division of Germany and its victims. The construction of the Wall on August 13, 1961 was a turning point in German post-war history, said the CDU politician. "From then on, the Wall not only separated the two parts of Germany, but also tore families and friends apart and became a symbol of political oppression and lack of freedom."

Numerous people lost their lives or were seriously injured during escape attempts, while others suffered years of imprisonment or social exclusion, said Klepsch. "Their fates still remind us today. We remember not only the suffering, but also the courage of all those who stood up for freedom and democracy."

The construction of the Wall began in Berlin on August 13, 1961, under the leadership of the then SED and GDR head of state Walter Ulbricht and sealed the division of Germany. In the end, the "anti-fascist protective wall" ran around 155 kilometers around West Berlin and 45 kilometers through the middle of the city; the inner-German border was around 1,400 kilometers long. With the fall of the Wall on November 9, 1989, the division of Germany ended after more than 28 years.